Churchill and his portrait

“A remarkable example of modern art” growled Churchill when the grateful parliament presented him with a portrait for his 80th birthday in 1954. A painter himself, Churchill did not like the portrait by Graham Sutherland for it depicted him as a querulous old man instead of the bulldoggish statesman who had faced down Hitler.

Sutherland was commissioned by both Houses of Parliament to paint a full-length portrait of Churchill in 1954, for which only this study survives. The finished painting, presented to Churchill, was destroyed by his wife Clementine Churchill.

It’s a shame it was destroyed although the fact that Clementine did so makes me smile. I think the painting was a testament to Sir Winston Churchill’s legacy of fearlessness and tenacity in the face of age, a wonderful reflection of a noble soul. It projected both complexity and immortality. It has the distinct air of “never despair” and “never give up”. The painting was unconventional but brilliant as was the man.

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